Crafty Monday Part 2: Bats, Owls, Spiders, and Cats October 28, 2013

In this post: Our homeschool group learns about the creepy and spooky creatures talked about this time of year. At home Michael learns about bats, owls, and spiders with crafts, games, and fun food. Plus my pumpkin art!

Hello dear ones! I know the top pictures are always too big. They are for my Pinterest and the reader. This is the second part of Crafty Monday. I hope you didn’t miss the first part with week 2 of Ancient Greece. We had fun last week learning about the creepy creatures brought up around Halloween. We don’t celebrate Halloween (as in celebrating the dead…ghosts…horror etc…) but I don’t mind learning about these “creepy” creatures because I don’t think they are scary at all. We love to dress up for Fall festivals and to enjoy Harvest celebrations but I’m very anti-horror.

When one of the homeschool moms decided to do a creepy creature project we just had to prepare. So I found these great lapbooks etc on Currclick.com. They were super cheap and all about owls, bats, spiders, and cats. We never got to the cat one.

You can find my Fall Pinspirations here: http://www.pinterest.com/doverette/fall-crafts/

First we began with bats and a famous bat named Stellaluna :).  I think bats are super cute.

Here’s what you see above:

• Flutter, Flutter Little Bat poem
• Candy Bat craft ~We also watched a reading of Stellaluna. The white bat represents her.
• Hanging Bat craft ~I hung these over Michael’s reading pool. Now he has a bat cave :).
• Bat lapbook from Currclick.com. We also watched a video about bats. I believe the link came with the lapbook.
• Bats and Cats music game ~ found here: http://www.susanparadis.com/catalog.php?ID=SP740
• Cat cookie cutter sandwich ~ it is what it is. Poor black cats. They get such a bad rap. I have a sweet one and he’s not evil…well most of the time.

• Owl cursive sheets~ Michael practiced writing cursive with these all week.  He traced the owl fact sheets and he copied owl facts too.
• Michael dissected an owl pellet online here: http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm
• Then he got a certificate for being a Bird Barfologist.  Michael got the funny glasses from Michael’s craft store.

• Spider Web Language Arts Game: I made a yarn web with cut out spiders. I put various Fall words on it. Michael had to find synonyms, homonyms, and antonyms. He wasn’t allowed to step off the yarn.
• Glue Resist Spider Web~ it’s really hard to see the spider web with a green back ground.  We made the web with glue then painted over it with water paint.

A friend’s church had a fall festival called Manna-ween. We watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” on the lawn.  You can see Michael as Bilbo Baggins. There’s a pic with his buddies Olivia and Liam. When we got home Michael colored his Great Pumpkin coloring book and we watched the movie again.

Our homeschool group  learned about creepy creatures last week.  The mom who led it divided the activities in centers.  The kids were split into pairs.  They were given passports. Once they completed the activities at each center they stamped the passport. I have them labeled below.

Lastly, a couple projects of my own…

• Sweater Pumpkin made from an old blue sweater.
• Pumpkin blocks ~ wooden blocks painted orange and white. A nail for the stem and gold wire for the vine.
• We are trying to sprout Indian corn for a science project.

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Crafty Monday Part 1: Ancient Greece Week 2

In this post: Ancient Greece crafts and food (Ambrosia, the Greek gods, Greek drama etc…) 

Hello dear ones! We had a delicious week learning about ancient Greece.  First we made this yummy Ambrosia.  We mixed 2 cans of mixed fruit, a bowl of whip cream, several handfuls of marshmallows, and handfuls of pecans. Michael got coconut in his bowl.

By the way, you can find our Greek Pinspirations here: http://www.pinterest.com/doverette/sow-greece/

We read about the Greek gods in The Story of the World. Ambrosia is supposed to be the “food of the gods” so I figured it was appropriate.

It’s been interesting learning about other religions and mythology in homeschool. I don’t like to teach about mythology the way I learned in public school. Our homeschool is centered around the Bible. Greek mythology isn’t a just a bunch of made up stories. People really worshiped these gods. So therefore we are looking at false gods…demons.  I wanted Michael to realize this when we started reading the stories.

We made this “Greek gods vs. Truth” mobile”.

I got this idea online but I added a twist. On one side, Michael wrote the name of one of the main 12 Greek gods and then he drew a picture of what that god represented.

On the other side, we wrote what the Bible says compared to the mythological beliefs. For instance, Jesus is the King of Kings….not Zeus. We also talked about what different Christians believe about the gods. Some believe the Greeks (and others) just made up stories to explain the unexplainable. Others believe that the gods were fallen angels that wanted worship. I guess I’m in the middle and unsure. I do believe that there are demons behind every false idol…whether they come after an idol is made or they inspire the idol…I don’t know.

Later, we watched the Disney cartoon “Hercules”. It brought up a great conversation about the after life.  Part of me didn’t want to teach mythology but since our culture is so full of names  and ideas from Greek mythology, I know Michael needed to learn it.

Interestingly, the Greeks also have a “flood” story. Like most pagan flood stories, the god who makes the flood is evil. The Bible has the only flood story I’ve read where the God is good, the flood is justified, and the same God who makes the flood also warns the guy who builds the boat. Michael and I talked about how certain stories were twisted over time and how only one of Noah’s sons carried on the Truth of the True God.  The other sons’ descendants worshiped pagan gods.  This also explains the similarities in the Flood stories all over the world.

We later discussed the similarity between Eve in the garden and Pandora’s box. It was also neat for Michael to realize how Greek names are in our modern culture (ex. Pandora the music site).  We didn’t make a Greek lapbook. But we had a Top Secret Adventures packet from Highlights.

Michael watched the story of Medusa and he played a game with Icarus here:

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/wingedsandals/storytime/

Michael dressed up as a ancient Greek. He made the leaf crown for a Terabithia project.  I wrapped a white sheet around him for a toga. Michael colored and cut out the Greek coins we got online.

This is a Greek soldier that Michael drew from his Draw and Write Through History book.

We read about Greek drama here: http://greece.mrdonn.org/theatre.html

I was lazy and just bought drama masks from the craft store. I drew the mouths and eyebrows.  They are supposed to represent Satire, Comedy, and Tragedy. Really they represent sad, mad, and glad :).

I printed a play about Echo and Narcissus from here: http://www.kidsinco.com/2009/02/echo-and-narcissus/

Then Michael and I acted it out for Chris. We switched masks to represent our feelings in the play.  You can find a cartoon of the story on my Pinterest page.

We hung the masks up in the homeschool room. They’re a bit creepy but they also remind me of drama class.

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Week 1 of Ancient Greece here: https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/crafty-monday-greece-week-1-down-at-the-farm/

Week 3 of Greece: https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/crafty-monday-ancient-greece-week-3-oktoberfest/

My Family Rocks! Sunday: Taste of Home Inspiration October 27, 2013

In this post: Michael and I went to a Taste of Home Cooking School. I was completely inspired. Here’s what I cooked up in the kitchen that weekend! Plus acorn cookies!

I’m thankful for a son that’s a good sport. I didn’t have a sitter so I took lil man to the Taste of Home cooking show with me. I used to go to these when I was a kid. My grandma took me and I loved winning food. Michael was excited about going. I think he was expecting something different. He did get a bit bored but we both enjoyed sampling all the free food Piggly Wiggly brought. They sponsored the show and really went out of the way.

So we filled up on sweets and chili samples. We also got free bags at the door with coupons and jars of chocolate hazelnut butter (probably the same as Nutella). Then we found a place in the crowd and sat to watch the show. It’s just a live cooking show. The Taste of Home chefs travel around teaching others how to cook what’s in the magazines.

Throughout the show they take breaks and draw names for prizes. When I was a kid I remember winning groceries and some of the food the chef had made on stage. We didn’t win anything this time but maybe next year. I’m so glad I didn’t have to go alone this year.

If you ever get a chance to go to a cooking show I hope you do. They are great fun for adults.

When I got home I was totally revved up and inspired. I decided to make several of the dishes. So the next day I spent the whole night cooking. First I made supper: Heavenly Family Casserole on pg 12 of the Fall 2013 Taste of Home Cooking School magazine. We ate on this all weekend.

I didn’t layer mine so it’s not quite as pretty but I assure you it would taste the same. The casserole reminded me of a beefed up version of hamburger helper (no pun intended). But in this case I know everything that went into it and it took a bit of time to cook. I haven’t diced onions in awhile.

It’s probably against copyright to give out any of these recipes so I’m just going to give the ingredients and let you figure out the rest on your own. I couldn’t find this one online either. Here are the ingredients without measurements: ground beef, egg noodles, tomato sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, chopped onion, cream cheese, sour cream, shredded Parmesan cheese, and grated cheddar cheese.  Michael approves :).

German Chocolate Cake~ They have this recipe posted here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/german-chocolate-cake

It took a good bit to make but the cake was worth it. I left out the coconut since Chris hates regular coconut.  I just added more pecans. It tasted like a pecan spice cake. We had so much left over that we froze some. This was a HUGE cake!

Mine is square but I’m proud of it. I added the chocolate hazelnut butter to the icing.

I saved it for my Step Dad Kim’s birthday.

Appetizer Wreath~ http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/appetizer-wreath

I didn’t make a wreathe but we each fixed our own toppings and had these for lunch  all weekend.

Eggs Benedict ~ P14 of the book. I couldn’t find it online. I did mine a bit different. I baked the eggs with salt and pepper in the oven. I made a can of biscuits instead of English muffins. I made the bacon the night before too. I put the Hollandaise sauce (egg yolks, lemon juice, water, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce) in a separate bowl.

Then the next morning we warmed it up and added the sauce. In fact, it lasted several mornings.

I used the free chocolate hazelnut butter for these acorn cookies: Jif Hazelnut butter, kisses, and mini Nilla wafers. Easy, yummy, and addictive!

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Virtual Friday: Childish Places October 25, 2013

Hello dear ones! Today we are exploring the sims Electrobit City and Childhood in Second Life.  These virtual gems will have you feeling super nostalgic! 🙂

First, we begin with Electrobit City.

Visit Electrobit City (117, 102, 195)

I really like this sim. It’s like being able to jump into your Nintendo from the 80’s.  You can actually visit different Mario-esque worlds and play the game…well sort of. You can jump on blocks and trees etc but so far there aren’t any bad guys to smush. You can collect coins though and if you fall in the wrong spot you are considered dead. You’re then sent to a dungeon. No fear. You can teleport back up to the home base.

Most of this sim is under construction. I can’t wait to see Electrobit city when it’s finished. The creator can really do so much with a sim like this.  It’s neat to be able to explore the inside of 80’s games and have very little limitations.  Now if only there were objects and people inside those Mario castles. That would be awesome!

And we end with “Childhood”. This artsy sim was created by the Mysterious Wave team. This sim is more of an exhibit. So I don’t know how long it will be up. Take a gander when you get a chance ;).

Visit Childhood here:

Visit The Dark Swamp (52, 105, 27)

You can find large statues all around here that represent childhood memories. Look how huge the avatar statue is compared to me. The artist who made these did a very good job.

My favorite part was the carousel.

Bubbles…bubbles…. everywhere!

Well dear ones, it’s time to go. I hope you get a chance to explore these whimsical sims. God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Inspirational Wednesday: Are You Listening? October 23, 2013

God speaks: Are You Listening?

God speaks in many ways and often. The problem is that we aren’t listening half the time. Sometimes we ignore God and push Him away when we don’t want to listen. Or maybe we just don’t know the ways God is speaking. Today I want to help you to recognize God’s voice.

My resources are coming from “Experiencing God” by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King. If you’ve never done this Bible study I highly encourage you to.  Also I’ve learned a lot from a local pastor Brother M.R. . I’ll also be quoting the KJV Bible.  I’m excited to share what God’s been showing me lately through His word!

• If you are God’s child then He is speaking to you.

“He that is of God hears God’s words: you therefore hear them not, because you are not of God.” John 8:47 KJV

• Those that belong to God hear Him. If you’ve never heard from God then you don’t belong to Him. It is possible to ignore God to the point that you no longer recognize His voice. More on disobedience later.

• God wants to speak to us because we are His children.

• Romans 8:14-17 KJV

  ^“14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: ¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

• The Bible says that we are adopted. Adopted children legally have more rights than natural children. They can’t be disinherited. Let that sink in. 

• God shows himself to us so we can join in His plan, because He values us above everything. We are worth the blood of Jesus, His only begotten son. God wants to be with us. He wants to show us His ways.

  *Don’t you think he wants to be with us morning and night. Don’t you think it breaks his heart when we don’t even say hello? As Brother M.R. pointed out, most parents would do anything to stop their child from suffering. God watched His son being tortured and He had full power to stop it but He didn’t, why? Because of you and me! He wanted to save us from Hell and a life of bondage to sin. Jesus’ blood…His death and resurrection were the only way we could be free. We are worth ALOT to God!  He really does want to spend time with you!

God speaks to us in many ways

Under the Old Covenant, God spoke in several ways and all unique to the individual.

• Angels, visions, dreams, the use of the Utim and Thummin, symbolic actions, a gentle whisper, miraculous signs etc…

  When God spoke they

  1. Knew it was God *It’s not how he spoke but that he spoke.

  2.Knew what He was saying

  3. It was unique to that individual. God is personal. We don’t all talk to burning bushes.

  4. When God spoke that was the encounter.

*Points taken from “Experiencing God” Unit 5 God Speaks Part 1

• On pg 74 of Experiencing God it says ” I hear many people say something like this: ‘Lord, I really want to know your will. Stop me if I am wrong and bless me if I am right.’ Another version of this is: ‘Lord, I will proceed in this direction. Close the door if it is not your will.’ The only problem is I don’t see this as a pattern anywhere in the Scripture. You cannot allow yourself to be guided by experience alone. You cannot allow yourself to be guided by tradition, a method, or a formula. Often people trust in these ways because they are easy. People do as they please and put the whole burden of responsibility on God. If they are wrong, He must intervene and stop them. If they make a mistake, they blame Him. If you want to know the will and voice of God, you must give the time and effort to cultivate a love relationship with Him. That is what He wants!”

• Under the New Covenant God speaks through:

  A.The Holy Spirit– In the gospel, God spoke through His son. From Acts til the present, God speaks through the Holy Spirit. We must remember that the Holy Spirit is God. When you’ve heard from one person in the Trinity you’ve heard from them all. That’s the beauty and mystery of the Trinity, three in one.

• We see in John 14:7-10 that seeing Jesus is the same as seeing the Father.

^“7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.⁸Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.⁹Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?¹⁰Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

• The Holy Spirit lives in us. 1 Cor 3:16 & 1 Cor 6:19. “Because the Holy Spirit is always present in a believer, He can speak to you clearly at any time.” Pg77 Experiencing God

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

• How you respond to God is critical. Disobedience and ignoring God can lead to a famine of hearing God’s words. Amos 8:11-12

^“11Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: ¹²And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”

These verses are talking about Israel’s disobedience to God and how they did not hear from him for 400 years, the time between the Old and New Testament.  We know under the New Covenant we can grieve the Holy Spirit.

^“30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

• B. The Bible– 2 Timothy 3:16-17 God’s word instructs us and works in us so we will be complete. It is God’s complete revelation of Himself to humanity.

^“16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Here is an article about a sad moment for the church in Korea. I thought it had happened sooner because I heard it from a preacher recently but this actually happened in 1992.  This isn’t in the article but the story I was told is that 3 of South Korea’s top preachers had a vision of an angel that told them the Lord was returning at a certain time. The article below says that 20,000 people got ready for this rapture day. It was a disaster. Of course the Lord didn’t come then. The Bible is clear that no one knows the hour when Christ will return. It says not even the son knows! So how would an angel know?!

Others have been tricked in similar ways.  The preachers probably did have a real vision. I don’t doubt their experience. But experiences can be wrong. They have to be filtered through God’s word. That is why we have so many cults today. People have visions or see angels etc and they base their decisions on these experiences without looking to God’s word.

http://articles.latimes.com/1992-10-29/news/mn-925_1_south-korea

• Our experiences and thoughts should always be filtered through God’s word. The devil is out to deceive.

^“13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. ¹⁴And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ¹⁵Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 KJV

• Isaiah 55:8 God’s thoughts are higher than ours. Our thoughts and feelings can be wrong and we don’t see the full picture. We should use God’s word to guide us…not what we feel or think.

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”

• We should not lean on our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

^“5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

• When your experience doesn’t line up with the Bible then it is NOT of God.Galatians 1:8-9 KJV

^“8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. ⁹As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

I have to preach for a second about something that really troubles me in the modern church. There are so many spiritual books out there that tell of peoples’ experiences and so many Christians are basing their beliefs on these books instead of the Bible.  The sad thing is that these books are supposed to be Christian and most of them do not line up with the Bible. Even if these books did have the truth, we should still base our beliefs on the Bible first. We’ve got God’s words written down for us. Why should we go to other sources to find what He has clearly said. Even with blogs,Christian devotions, and preacher’s sermons…these things should be secondary. God’s word should always be our first source.  It is our standard…our plumb line.

• We can’t understand spiritual truth unless God reveals it to us. So when you’re reading the Bible and something clicks, you just had an encounter with God. 1 Cor 2:14 KJV

^“14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

•  The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.  He is the one who helps you understand God’s word. John 14:17 KJV

John 14:17 “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

• Pg 85 of “Experiencing God” says “Understanding spiritual truth does not lead you to an encounter with God, it is the encounter with God.”

• C. Prayer– It is a two-way fellowship and communication with God. It is a relationship, not just a religious activity. (from pg 87-88 of Experiencing God)

• Truth is a person.  Jesus is TRUTH! John 14:6 KJV

John 14:6  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Pg 87 of “Experiencing God” says”When the Holy Spirit reveals Truth, He is not teaching you a concept to be thought about. He is leading you to a relationship with a Person. He is your life! When God give you eternal life, He gives you a Person. When you became a Christian, Jesus didn’t give you some thing; He gave you Himself.”

Now that is powerful!

• Prayer is about adjusting to God, not adjusting God to you. We need to take the focus off ourselves and start being God centered. God is already at work. Where does He want you to fit into His plans? It’s not about how you can fit God into your little corner of life. 

• When you call God don’t hang up on Him before he speaks! How rude would it be if someone called you up, told you about their day and then hung up before you could respond. You would definitely unfriend them on Facebook. Thankfully God is merciful because we do that to Him ALL the time! When you pray, open up the Word and get ready to hear God’s voice. Be aware of Him speaking to you through circumstances and people in your life. 

• D. Circumstances

  E. The Church/God’s people

I’m still learning about the last two points.  I know the first three to be the most reliable. People can be wrong. Circumstances are tricky. I truly believe that God will show you His will first through His word and the Holy Spirit…then people and circumstances may confirm. I highly question self proclaimed prophets who try to tell me what God wants me to do. The beauty of living under the New covenant is that God speaks to His children personally and the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us. We all have the right to boldly go before God’s throne. We don’t have to hear everything second hand from a prophet. I for one do not want to go backwards and live under the old covenant. I’m glad I can go directly to God on my own. I don’t have to pray to saints and I don’t have to wait for a prophet to tell me God’s word. Hallelujah!

• Connect to God’s plans. Don’t try to fit God into yours! I mentioned this earlier. Pg 14 says this beautifully, “What is God’s will for my life? -is not the right question. I think the right question is, what is it that God is purposing where I am. Once I know what God is doing, then I know what I need to do. The focus needs to be on God, not my life!”

The shift from being God centered to self centered can be very minute in our prayers. “What is God’s will for my life?” sounds Holy enough. It reminds me of the Purpose Driven life. Having your God given purpose to drive you, sounds Holy enough. But the focus should always be on God’s leading…not our skills or talents…not even our ministries. We may know that our purpose is to be a singer for Jesus. Great! But what if during that calling, God tells you to do something else for Him.?Well, if your purpose (to be a Christian singer) is guiding you then you won’t recognize God’s voice. But when you allow God to guide you (a.k.a. drive your life) then you will follow Him wherever he leads. Your purpose may change often according to life changes and ministry opportunities.

Within my short years, I have seen God change my purpose according to the season He had me in and the ministries he was doing around me.  Sometimes God calls us to do things that don’t absolutely tickle us or feel like our calling. A talented singer may not feel her purpose is to wash dishes at a soup kitchen or scrub floors at Burger King. But God may have her in that season to develop character. The point is  that being God centered means following God wherever He leads you and purposing to glorify God in every circumstance you find yourself in. The key is to be God-driven and God-centered. It’s a shift in thinking.

3 thoughts I want to leave you with…

• 1.Jesus could do nothing without the Father. How much more so, does that apply to us mere mortals? 

• John 5:19-20 KJV

^“19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.²⁰For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.”

It is vital that we listen for God’s voice and that we have a relationship with Jesus. We need the Lord. We can not walk this life without Him. Ignoring God and checking out is not an option. It’s suicide. Please don’t do it. The God of the universe is speaking. You need to hear what He’s saying. If you’re a Christian then you already can hear His voice. If you are not a follower of Jesus then there is one message you can hear and that is God’s call to salvation. Come to Jesus and He will save you!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

• 2.Sometimes God calls us to Stand.

We are all about “doing”. We want to be go getters. We often measure our value by our busyness.  But sometimes we need to stop and just stand. Sometimes we need to just watch as God works things out.  There is a time to “do” but there is also a time to be still and quiet.  Here are some examples.

•   John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Abiding in Jesus is very important. Simply being with God brings about fruit (Godly character).

•  In our spiritual battle, the word stand is mentioned 4 times. Not once do we see “charge”. It is God that fights for us and through us.  Ephesians 6:10-18

^“10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

• There is a time for “doing” but relationship must come first.

• Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God!”

We see in the stories below that God had His people stand while He fought their battles. Many times our hardships seem too burdensome. We don’t know how we are going to survive. I encourage you dear one, don’t run. Don’t hide. Don’t wring your hands with worry. Just stand…eyes on Jesus. Have faith and watch what God does in your life. You’ll be amazed at how He comes through.

• 1 Sam 12:16 “Now then, stand still and see this great things the Lord is about to do before your eyes!”

• Exodus 14:13-14 “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

If you get a chance, search the song “Til the Storm Passes By” by Vestal Goodman on Youtube. It’s very encouraging.

• 3.God’s standards are different than mans’.

•  John’s ministry only lasted 6 months but Jesus said there was none greater. “He had six months wholly yielded to God, and the Son of God put that stamp of approval on his life.”(p25 Experiencing God) Luke 7:28 KJV

“For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

•  God uses the weak things of the world. Jesus is our wisdom.  1 Cor 1:26-31

^“26For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: ²⁷But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; ²⁸And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: ²⁹That no flesh should glory in his presence. ³⁰But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: ³¹That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Think about the people Jesus called to spread the Gospel…a tax collector (Matthew), a fishermen (Peter), a former murderer (Paul).  Yet, people could see Jesus in them. When pride and self righteousness gets in the way it is SO hard to see Jesus. But a humble person is such a great vessel for Jesus to shine through. So no matter what you come from, God can use you because it’s all about God and His power…not you and yours.

• Elijah was a man just like us. God answered his prayers. We know that God answers the prayers of normal people. James 5:17-18 

^“17Elias  was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.¹⁸And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

• Pg 25 Experiencing God “Don’t measure your life by the world’s standards…By the world’s standards, a person or church may look pretty good, yet in God’s sight be utterly detestable. Similarly, a person or church may be wholly yielded to Him and very pleasing to Him and in the world’s eyes be insignificant.” 

•  Enoch is recorded as simply having faith and walking with God. He pleased God by simply abiding with Him.  Gen 5:21-24 & Heb 11:5-6

^“5By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. ⁶But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:5-6

^“24And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Genesis 5:24

We have no great stories of Enoch preaching to thousands or slaying giants. All we have is that Enoch walked with God and this pleased God. Enoch pleased God so much that he didn’t die. He was simply taken up.  Please don’t think your quiet time with God is insignificant. Simply being with God is VERY important. I don’t know what season God has you in now. Maybe you are out in the ministry and all hands on. Maybe you’re doing. Or maybe God has you in a quiet time of just abiding in Him.  Maybe you’re standing. Remember that it is FAITH that pleases God….whether you are doing or standing.

I pray you have learned how to hear God’s voice and that God will write these truths on your heart. God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

IDOP correction October 21, 2013

The international day of prayer for the persecuted church is actually the second Sunday in November, the 10th. I’m sorry I got mixed up and gave the wrong date before!  Blessings, Amber D.

Crafty Monday: Greece Week 1 + Down at the Farm

In this post: We begin our study of Ancient Greece with Greek Pizza, the Parthenon, Greek architecture, and the Alphabet! Also a fun trip to the farm/ranch as we learn about pioneers and pilgrims. And a few Fall crafts!

Hello beloved and how are you? We are still kickin’ over here at the Dover’s. I’m excited to be teaching and learning about Ancient Greece. The Greeks were some of my favorite people in Social studies at school. I really enjoyed Greek mythology as a kid but that’s changed since I became a Christian. I don’t watch Xena or Hercules anymore. Still, I think the culture was interesting.

This week we focused on the Alphabet and architecture. You can find our pinspirations at this link:

http://www.pinterest.com/doverette/sow-greece/

Michael decoded a Greek letter and then he wrote his own Greek letter. It was a secret message to his Daddy, the other secret agent in the family. Shhhhh! Don’t tell! 😉

Chris decoding his letter.

We watched a couple of videos about the Greek Alphabet and some cute songs. They reminded me of my brief time in Bible college. Me and my guy buddy were surrounded by old men and they cracked us up. I’ve got a video of the guys singing the Greek Alphabet. Oh how I miss them all….good times.  You can find the other vids on the link I gave you.

We talked about Athens vs Sparta. I would rather live in Athens for sure. The Spartans were warriors and very harsh. The Athenians were all about education and the arts. We learned a bit about the Olympics. Michael couldn’t believe that it was limited to men and they went around naked! No wonder married women were forbidden to attend!

We made a homemade Greek Pizza with olives and feta. My guys really enjoyed it. I couldn’t handle the heart burn.

We looked at Greek mosaics online and then made a bean mosaic.

Michael drew the Parthenon from his Draw and Write Through History book.

We watched a video about the Parthenon while we put together this Lego Parthenon. We found directions online but sort of did our own thing. We simplified and it turned out nice.

Michael made these Greek columns out of toilet paper tubes and paper. We have Doric (the plain columns),  Ionic (looks like scrolls), and Corinthian (fancy) columns.

We ended the week by looking at Greek sculptures and then making our own out of cucumbers. Okay, it was hard! None of us had the talent for it.

I thought mine (right) looked like an old grandma. You can’t see her face in the pic. Michael’s looks scary like slimer or something. Yeah, it was hard.

We did a scarecrow tutorial. The crayon didn’t resist the paint well. You can’t see his straw. Cute, nevertheless.

Michael also learned how to draw an owl. He added other animals to his picture.

You can find these crafts here: http://www.pinterest.com/doverette/fall-crafts/

I gave Michael a fake pumpkin and let him decorate it however he wanted. He drew a cat face.

At the beginning of the week, our group took a trip to a ranch/farm to learn about pilgrims and pioneers. It was a good program though overshadowed literally by the grey misty and COLD weather. Oh, I froze my tail off! All of us had dressed for a hot day too. So we shivered through it and most of us went home, napped, and had cider or cocoa after. Goes to show….cold homeschool moms think alike ;).

Currclick.com has free “Down on the Farm” notebooking pages. Check it out:

http://www.currclick.com/product/30016/Down-on-the-Farm-Notebooking-Pages

This sweet lady talked to the kiddos about the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.

The the kids learned how to grind corn. There is no way to get a decent amount of food this way. I’m thinking there was a bowl shaped vat and a long stone cylinder or something to grind it. I can’t imagine a rock and a log being very effective at all.  The corn went everywhere.

Our “Native American” guide showed the kids this teepee and told a Native American legend.

Inside the teepee.

A dreary day on the farm…

Fun feeding goats!

The free range bunnies made burrows…I want a free range bunny now.

Baaaa ram ewe! He he…reminds me of Babe every time. Sheep make me giggle. It’s like chihuahuas. I always want to say “Yo quero Taco Bell”.

King of the world!

A hay ride without any hay…still fun.

This man knew his stuff. He talked to the kids about being a pioneer and living on the trail.

The Pioneer man took us to the cabin “we built”. We used our imagination to get there :).

Pioneer man showing us how to wash clothes the old fashioned way.

Inside the cabin…such simple beauty.

The loft. You didn’t have to worry about family togetherness back then.

Downstairs in the one room cabin. Oh this reminds me of some of my favorite Christian romance and inspirational movies….Love Comes Softly…Seasons of the Heart.

What a perfect Fall table…I wouldn’t mind having a cabin someday. See the stuffed turkey in the corner? There’s an abacus on the mantle.

An old reader on the table.

Pumpkins by the covered wagon.

Nifty spiderweb net.

It was a fun and busy week.  We went to the fair and also a cooking school. I’ll show pictures of that later, Lord willing.  If you’re wondering where the Bible was in this time of history (remember our timeline?): well, the book of Malachi was being written and the Jews were about to enter into the silent years where God refused to speak. When we study Rome we will finally be in the times of Jesus, the messiah. That’ll be great near Christmas, one of the times we celebrate Christ’ birth.

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Last Week: https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/crafty-monday-part-1-babylon-and-persia/

Week 2 of Greece: https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/crafty-monday-part-1-ancient-greece-week-2/

My Family Rocks! Sunday: The Fair, Festivals, & Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies October 20, 2013

Hello dear ones! I hope you’re enjoying your fall. 🙂 Autumn brings some of my favorite things….fairs and festivals.

Last weekend, our local museum had a Fall festival. Michael got to wear his Bilbo (Hobbit) costume for the first time. Chris and I haven’t dressed up yet but our costumes are ready for the future festivals.  We then headed to a pumpkin nursery. The hayrides were expensive so Chris pulled Michael around in the pumpkin wagon. You can see above that we had some fun photo opportunities with hay bales, a wall of pumpkins, and a Native American themed photo booth. There’s also a giant hay bale spider. I caught a pic of Chris and Michael playing football together.

Later that week we went to the fair. We saw tigers and strange animals…like a four horned ram and a midget bull. We also saw a camel at the petting zoo.

If you scroll up to the big picture at the beginning you’ll see me modeling my favorite Fall outfit. I got the large sweater and leggings from Target. It’s hard to see but I also have this neat owl necklace.  So cozy!

This month has been unpredictable with our government and worries over Chris’ job and pay as a Veteran. But the Lord is good and continues to work things out. We’ve had some great times despite the chaos in the media and our nation. I pray our family will be strong no matter what comes our way and that we will always cherish the tender moments. Michael is only 7 once.

Here’s something fun. These pumpkin gingerbread cookies were great with cider. I picked out and bought my own personalized cookie cutter kit awhile back (online). So I got out some cookie cutters that are a bit unusual. You can see the key shape. We’ve also got a kitty cat, owls, brooms, and I tried a spider web but it didn’t work.  I’ve got plenty others to try in the future. I’m looking forward to the wrench cookie cutter :). I’ve got baby stuff cookie cutters for my friend’s baby shower too.

Anywho, it was nice to make gingerbread with a Fall twist. I got the recipe here:

http://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/2013/09/spiced-pumpkin-gingerbread-cookies.html

I messed up on the icing because I ran out of powdered sugar. Yeah, regular sugar does not work the same! I turned my frosting disaster into something good by cooking it with apples and making “apple turnovers” with a can of biscuits. They were great for breakfast :).

Fairs and festivals remind me of the fleeting years of childhood. Cotton candy and hayrides…memories that we make for a season and then they are gone forever. May we put our worries aside and cherish the simple joys. They mean the most.

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Media Saturday: Light Amidst Spiritual Darkness October 19, 2013

Dear ones, there are times that my curiosity and sinful nature lead me down dark roads but I know Jesus, the God who made the Universe, can bring light to the darkest places. I’m not here to judge your media choices but rather to share a testimony of how God brought me out of darkness.

This is a continual testimony that I share because even though I am a believer, I am still flesh and I stumble often. God is so faithful to draw me back when I stray.

I’m noticing a steady trend in modern media. It’s dark, depressing, and full of death. It reminds me of my life before I met Christ. As a child I was drawn to dark and melancholy things.  The world was a scary place. Before my Dad became a minister he was a drug dealer and we had interesting characters in our homes. I was very sheltered after my Dad became a minister but before I was very unsheltered. I watched a lot of horror movies and the people I hung around were perverse (I’m talking kids at school….little girls etc).  I was interested in the occult and read a lot of dark things. I was raised in Church but the darkness of the world was bigger than the light.

As a kid I had nightmares every night and I had a few demonic encounters. The scariest was when the blinds in my room started moving up and down on their own after I had watched Ghost Busters. The window was shut, the fan was off, and the vents were closed. There’s no explanation except spiritual.  I will never watch that movie again because of that.  I’m not saying the movies alone opened me up to the demonic. I believe my whole situation and the people I was around did. There was a battle for my soul and I know that Jesus stepped in and saved me from spiraling into more darkness. He heard my cries in the night.

Do I have occasional dealings with darkness, depression, and death as a believer? Yes, I slip and fall. I’ve gotten severely depressed before. But there is a big difference between now and before my conversion. Before I could not escape the darkness. It just got bigger. You see, I tried to cleanse my filthiness by hurting myself…slapping myself…choking myself. Every time I would curse I would slap myself. But I couldn’t atone for my sin. I couldn’t see the light. I just got darker.

I don’t remember this completely because I blocked some of it out but my Mom told me what really happened. As a kid, there was a boyfriend of my mom’s that had mental issues from Vietnam etc…He claimed to be a Christian but he was psychotic and tried to hurt her, He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I only have bits and pieces of this memory. But there was a night that he started yelling and saying that we were all hypocrites and none of us Christians. I was not a Christian at the time but I thought I was because I went to church. My Mom was a Christian though. Anywho, I thought I was in the car crying but I was actually outside with him as he held up my arms and pretended to “crucify” me to show how Jesus died while he yelled at us. All I remember was crying and saying over and over “It’s not true”. I was scared to death of Hell. My whole life was controlled by intense fear.

But when I truly met Jesus, there was a peace. It wasn’t about escaping Hell. It was like meeting this person that I had always thought was far away. All of a sudden He was real and loving and Jesus wanted to take me out of the darkness because He loved me.  I couldn’t get out of the darkness on my own but He could set me free if I just let Him.  I just had to chose Him. I couldn’t do it before because He hadn’t come to me yet. The Holy Spirit has to draw a person and He knows when a person is ready to accept Him.

As a believer, I go to Jesus who is the Light and He chases away the darkness. I can’t do it on my own. I just have to fellowship with the Light. There are times that I stumble. Recently, I let my curiosity and sinful nature draw me to a dark and melancholy tv series.  I thought about saying what it was but I believe it’s wisdom to be vague. I’m not here to be your Holy Spirit.

Anywho, I watched two episodes and felt like I had been spiritually slimed. I literally wanted to vomit. The series twisted the Bible like crazy and was very full of darkness and the demonic.  I regretted watching any of the series and I felt that old familiar feeling of fear and darkness. I know that I don’t want to EVER go back to that darkness. God keeps me so I won’t. Still, I must be careful what media I let into my soul. It is a distraction and a tool of the enemy. I confessed to God, and asked that He would help me to run far away from that type of media anymore. I made a promise to myself and Him that I’d not even take a peek at media that has even a hint of darkness like that.

It was a lesson that the enemy knows my weakness and I should be on guard. I don’t want to open myself up to fear and depression again. The times that I have indulged in these curiosities I’ve opened myself up to oppression. I’ve had weeks of waking up in fear each night…at times screaming. Not everyone is as sensitive to these things but for some reason I always have been.  Because I have seen and experienced such darkness and then on the other hand seen God’s miraculous light just chase it away by one name, Jesus,  I know without a doubt the TRUTH of the gospel of Jesus. I’ve seen Him change people that I didn’t think could be changed. I’ve seen him bring peace to my very messed up and OCD ridden mind.

In  third world countries the spiritual world is very visible in certain areas. Demons are known and worshiped. But I’ve noticed in the U.S.A there is a different kind of spiritual battle. It’s often invisible. We don’t see as many spiritual things here…dark or light. But behind the scenes there is a battle still going on. I see it in the media everyone is drawn too. Have you noticed how the occult is so popular in books and t.v.? It began slowly and has progressed to full blown. Supernatural interest is everywhere.  Spiritual slime…

I’d think that a world in such seemingly chaotic times would want to surround itself with peppy media. But no. Everywhere you turn it’s about death, depression, and darkness. Everyone wants to talk about the Apocalypse..whether by zombies or natural disasters. It’s like people realize that things are getting darker and they have no control over it. The movies are full of that one guy or group that can save us all from the end.  Maybe he’s human or maybe supernatural.

I praise God that we don’t have to rely on a man or monster to save us all. There is one savior for mankind and he’s not a politician.  I praise God that I can’t save myself. I would be the one who trips at the wrong moment or something…sorry Spock, I pushed the wrong button…the Enterprise is going down.  Dwelling on the darkness and imagining how we can magically save the day won’t do us any good.  Worrying ourselves over the news won’t do us any good. Putting all our hope in governments and the kingdoms of men won’t do us any good. One thing I’ve learned from World History is that everybody dies. Man can’t become a god and we can’t live forever.

But I’m telling you that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ transcends this physical life. Now the Bible is clear that one day Jesus will physically return to this earth and make a new Heaven and Earth where He will rule forever in peace. There will be no more death, depression, and darkness. Mankind will be cured of it’s sinful curse.  Until then, I have peace that even if I die I will have God’s light and truth.  I no longer have to walk in darkness.

So I ask God’s help to walk with Him and to run far far away from the darkness that the world swallows up so easily.  The momentary pleasure isn’t worth it. I choose the light and I pray you will too. May Jesus find us all faithful when He returns!

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover

Inspirational Wednesday: What Do I Know of Holy? October 16, 2013

This is the song I’ve been singing lately…

What Do I Know of Holy ~Addison Road

“What Do I Know Of Holy”

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?[CHORUS]
So What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
So What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

[CHORUS]
So What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
So What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

[CHORUS 2]
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life it’s name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

[CHORUS]
So What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover